DK Eyewitness Travel - Top 10 Seattle 2011

For the city’s residents, Seattle Center is synonymous with lavish presentations of art, theater, dance, and music all year long.. 5 Bagley Wright Theatre 6 Seattle Center Monorail 7 K

ERIC AMRINE

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL

10 TOP

The information in this DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide is checked regularly.

Every effort has been made to ensure that this book is as up-to-date as possible at the time of going to press Some details, however, such as telephone numbers, opening hours, prices, gallery hanging arrangements and travel information are liable to change The publishers cannot accept responsibility for any consequences arising from the use of this book, nor for any material on third party websites, and cannot guarantee that any website address in this book will be a suitable source of travel information We value the views and suggestions of our readers very highly Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, Great Britain, or email: travelguides@dk.com

2

Reproduced by Colourscan, Singapore

Printed and bound by South China Printing

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Reprinted with revisions 2007, 2009, 2011

Copyright 2005, 2011 © Dorling Kindersley

Limited, London

All rights reserved Without limiting the rights

under copyright reserved above, no part of

this publication may be reproduced, stored in

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owner and the above publisher of this book

ISSN: 1479-344X

ISBN: 978-0-7566-7044-3

Within each Top 10 list in this book, no

hierarchy of quality or popularity is implied

equal merit

SEATTLE’S TOP 10

Seattle Highlights

6–7 Pike Place Market

8–9 Seattle Center 10–11 Seattle Waterfront

12–13 Pioneer Square

14–15 International District

16–17 Broadway 18–19 Lake Washington Ship Canal 20–21 University of Washington

22–23 Woodland Park Zoo

24–25 Discovery Park 26–27 Top Ten of Everything

Previous pages Seattle skyline with Space Needle in the forefront

Seattle Highlights

Seattle is a bustling powerhouse of influence,

steering the future of high technology as well as

popular culture The population of this vibrant

metropolis is fueled by espresso coffee, the latest

developments in software, music, and visual art

that’s often as far on the leading edge as the

city itself Seattle has emerged as one of the

most attractive cities in the United States, with

an ever-changing skyline that reflects the

pioneering spirit that brought settlers here in the

mid-19th century.

6

An integral part of the Seattle experience, visi-tors flock to this thriving landmark all year round Explore the invigorating mix of fresh seafood, farmers’ produce, flower stalls, and ethnic foods

(see pp8–9).

The site of the

1962 World’s Fair, the Center is now entirely dedicated to the pursuit of arts and entertainment While many original edifices remain – the Space Needle being the most recognized – the location also inspires new building designs, such as Frank Gehry’s Experience Music Project (see pp10–11).

Seattle is a major port for

both industrial and passenger

traffic Sights along Puget

Sound’s Elliott Bay include pier

shops and restaurants just

blocks from towering industrial

cranes loading containers onto

streets still paved

with bricks or cobblestone,

Seattle’s original commercial center

was established in 1852 when Aurthur

A Denny and David Denny arrived

with a handful of fellow pioneers This

is now a protected National Historic

District (see pp14–15).

The ID, as locals call it, is a mélange of Chinese, Korean, Japan-ese, and Southeast Asian cultures Seattle’s Pacific Rim identity makes it

a final destination for émigrés from across the Pacific (see pp16–17).

Seattle’s Top 10

7

A summer night along Capitol Hill’s

main strip can resemble midtown

Manhattan in terms of lively street

scenes Expect the unexpected –

outrageous attire and flamboyant

behavior (see pp18–19).

& Lake Washington Ship Canal

Officially completed in 1934, the Canal bisects the city and provides access to the sea for pleasure boaters, research vessels, and commercial barges

uni-the high-tech industry (see pp22–23).

The design of Seattle’s world-class zoo affords its animals vast enclosures Natural habitats surround the viewing areas and path-ways snake through its 92

acres (see pp24–25).

Rising above Puget Sound is a gorgeous 534-acre park Densely wooded trails, beaches, historic military homes, and wildlife are just

some of its attractive features (see pp26–27).

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Summer Saturdays are the Market’s busiest days For a more

Pike Place Market

8

The market abounds

in ethnic foods Three

Girls Bakery offers

freshly baked bread

and tasty sandwiches

For delicious in-door

dining, head to Il

Bistro for Italian,

Place Pigalle for

French urban, or Café

Campagne for French

country cuisine.

The Market stretches for several blocks high above

the port traffic sailing on the gleaming waters of

Elliott Bay This historic district includes a meandering

multi-level underground arcade, and street-level tables and

stalls Established in 1907, America’s oldest continually operating farmers’ market has become one of Seattle’s most treasured institutions By mid- century, most farmers’ tables were run by Japanese-Americans, and their tragic internment during World War II nearly ended the market’s operation Plans to raze the old buildings fortunately ceased in 1971, when architect Victor Steinbrueck and his supporters saved them from the wrecking ball

Famous neon cup sign

9 Hmong Flower Stalls

0 Read All About It

The West was won with steamed milk and dark roast coffee Howard Schultz’s global retail coffee empire began right here in 1971, at Starbucks’

Mezzanines

Follow a maze of ramps and stairways to reach this shopping wonderland Browse collectibles and books, have your palm read, commission a portrait, or treat yourself to local arts and crafts

& New Year’s Day.

• Three Girls Bakery:

(right) Their skills include

hurling fish high over customers and countertops

to be weighed, filetted, and wrapped for travel

Neon fish advertisement

Don’t try driving through crowded Pike Place Instead, use the

9

Rachel the Pig

Don’t miss Rachel, Seattle’s largest piggy bank This brassy icon of the Market Foundation also serves as the Mar-ket’s sentry at the main entrance All proceeds from visitors’ donations

to Rachel go towards low-income groups

Wednesdays

Check out the Market’s

Wednesday program

during the spring and fall

harvests (above) Look

for the yellow ribbon

tain views (below)

Stalls

Seattle’s small, entrepreneurial SE Asian Hmong community dominates the Market’s flower stalls You can smell the blossoms from oversized bouquets even before seeing them through the crowds In winter, residents make do with equally colorful dry flowers

About It

This quaint, old-fashioned

newsstand (below) offers

a wide array of papers and magazines from around the world

Street music (above) is a constant feature of

Market life You might catch the hyperkinetic show

of a spoons player who featured in at least one award-

winning rock video, or be entertained by gospel

quartets, piano troubadours, or a kazoo soloist

& DeLaurenti

Step inside to sample the delicious offerings of this Mediter-ranean gourmet grocery

Fresh breads and cheese, and a large wine selec-tion create a great summer picnic

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Seattle Center used to be a favorite potlatch site for coastal

10

The site of the 1962 Century 21 Exposition,

tagged “America’s Space Age World’s Fair,”

Seattle Center has thrived through decades of

massive growth all around it The main attraction

is still the Space Needle, though a close second

is the ultra-modern and controversial Experience

Music Project, Paul Allen’s monument to rock

music The International Fountain also attracts

throngs of visitors For the city’s residents, Seattle

Center is synonymous with lavish presentations

of art, theater, dance, and music all year long.

Space Needle, Seattle’s

the city’s architectural icon

Ride the vintage external elevators to the 520 ft (158 m) high observation deck for a majestic view, or reserve a table at the revol-ving SkyCity restaurant for 360-degree panoramic views while dining

This large building

hous-es the wonderful Seattle Children’s Museum (see p40) as well as an intimate

theater It also contains taurants, cafés, and shops

5 Bagley Wright Theatre

6 Seattle Center Monorail

7 KeyArena

8 Bumbershoot

9 Pacific Science Center

0 Seattle Children’s Theatre

While the Center

House contains many

restaurants, walk

along Queen Anne

Ave for a wider

selec-tion, including Thai

restaurants For

baked goods and

espresso, try Uptown

Espresso & Bakery,

525 Queen Anne Ave

(below & p38) is home

to the Seattle Opera and Pacific Northwest Ballet

The site also contains a café and the Boeing plaza

It also houses the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame

Head to the International Fountain to watch the jets of water

The anchor for the

Seattle Repertory Group,

the theater rose in 1963

to become a Tony

Award-winning playhouse It is

the largest of the three

stages the Rep (right &

p38) operates for its

performances

Planners of the 1962 World’s

Fair imagined the future of mass

transportation might resemble

this train (right & p32) The

Mono-rail, still in operation today, makes

the 1-mile (1.6-km) trip between

Seattle Center and downtown

every 10 minutes, daily

& KeyArena

The largest indoor

venue (below & p38) in

Seattle Center, with

events ranging from

heavy metal concerts to

pro basketball games

Seattleites mark their calendars for the long Labor Day holiday week- end in September, when Bumbershoot brings artists and imaginative literary arts programs, musicians, independent films, ethnic food, visual arts, and many surprises

to Seattle Center for the region’s largest festival of its kind (see p34).

Theatre (SCT)

An award-winning organization that enter-tains 260,000 patrons each year The Charlotte Martin Theater and the Eve Alford Theater are recognized for innovative family-oriented programs

1962 World’s Fair

The Century 21 ers demonstrated their vision of the future in

design-1962, only 53 years after Seattle’s first World’s Fair, the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exhibition Modernity ruled, from the science-fictionesque Needle and Monorail to the Sputnik-like Center Fountain Nearly 10 million visitors came

to marvel at this ideal future Even Elvis Presley made an appear-ance, filming It Hap- pened at the World’s Fair (1963) Today, it is

considered strictly retro,

if not kitsch

Center

You’ll find exhibits on topics such as electronic music making, robotics, hydraulics, and natural history (below) There’s

also a toddler area and two IMAX theaters

7 5(

CityPass offers admission to multiple attractions such as Seattle

Mar–May, Sep: 11:30am

& 4:30pm Sat, Sun;

Jun–Aug: 11:30am daily,

4 Ye Olde Curiosity Shop

5 Bell Harbor Marina

6 Water Sports & Tours

7 Tillicum Village,

8 Myrtle Edwards Park

9 Cruise Ship Terminals

0 Olympic Sculpture Park

State Ferries

An icon of the Pacific Northwest, these ferries provide a picturesque, inexpensive cruise across Puget Sound, as well as transporting Seattle’s commuters from neighboring shores

The waterfront’s most popular all-weather attraction is the world-class Seattle Aquarium Make a point to step inside the Aquarium’s glass-domed room (below) under

400,000 gallons of water for spectacular shark and octopus views Watch divers feed the fish in the Under-water Dome and the sharks

in the Coral Reef Exhibit There are also talks and craft activities for children

Seattle’s T

& Tillicum Village, Blake Island

The 4-hour visit to this Native American cultural center begins with a 45- minute narrated cruise

You will be welcomed with steamed clams in broth, served salmon baked over an alder fire, and see a spectacular show of traditional dance, songs, and stories

Marina

This harbor (above)

provides moorage for

pleasure boats, large and

small It’s adjacent to the

port of Seattle’s

paraglider and head up

for a breathtaking ride

and aerial city view

Many boat cruises depart

Park

Located in the Seattle Art Museum, this impressive park show-cases outdoor sculpture

by Alexander Calder, Ellsworth Kelly, and many others The views from the park are sensational

Seafair & Tug Boat Races

One of the most famed summer events is Sea-fair, a citywide festival that includes the famous tug boat races

on Elliott Bay Neither sleek nor sluggish, these champions of the sea are something to behold (see p34).

Terminals

Seattle’s relative proximity to Alaska’s stunning Inside Passage, coupled with modern trends in leisure travel, led the city to build two terminals to accommo-date the thousands of passengers coming and going You can watch ships docking by the Bell Harbor Marina all summer long

Looking for literature etched on rice grains,

or other such unique objects? Since 1899, this has

been the place (above) to find curios both from

the distant and recent past It’s also a great

source for coastal Native American art

S e a t t l e

W a t e r f r o n t

Pier 59

Pier 55 Pier 56

Pier 52/53

99

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P I NE S

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Seattle’s Top 10

14

Pioneer Square

The birthplace of modern Seattle has a colorful

history marked by economic and geological

fluctuations The Great Fire of 1889 virtually

destroyed it, before Alaska’s Gold Rush breathed

new life and Victorian architecture into the mix

The old warehouses and narrow streets gave rise

to a thriving loft arts scene in the 1980s and

90s While rents have skyrocketed and

develop-ers continue to renovate the grand façades of

relic buildings, the galleries, cafés, and

entrepre-neurial spirit remain The district stands as a

testament to a city’s survival, particularly after

a devastating earthquake in 2001.

If the weather’s rainy

or cold, curl up under

high ceilings by

Grand Central

Bakery’s cozy

fireplace with a good

book and a tasty

type-42 stories this skyscraper (above & p33) was once the

tallest edifice west of New York Ride the hand-operat-

ed elevator to the tion deck for great views

Underground Tour

Deliberately unusual in name and nature, this out-

fit presents a remarkable look at Pioneer Square’s underground history The Great Fire, tidal patterns, and poor sewage design forced citizens to convert second stories into first, shown through this subter-ranean 90-minute walk starting from Pioneer

Building (below & p33)

Company

A bibliophile’s dream

destination (above), this is

one of Seattle’s best booksellers Expect an erudite and informed staff,

an incredible selection, a large café, and a notable series of author’s readings

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Seattle’s Top 10

& Waterfall Garden

In the Northwest, water is everywhere

Step inside this tiny private park to meditate

on a man-made paean to

tumbling water (below)

This cobblestone

triangle of land bordered

by Yesler Way and First

Avenue is notable for a

Tlingit totem pole, and a

statue of Seattle’s

namesake, Chief Sealth

It also features an

iron-and-glass pergola (above)

built in 1909 that once

marked the entrance to

the “finest underground

restroom in the United

States”

Bakery

This is the artisinal

bak-ery and café that helped

make hand-rolled

Europe-an-style bread a mainstay

in Seattle

Popular and still prospering after 100 years, Merchant’s Café is Seattle’s oldest restau-rant with Victorian decor and hearty meals

Henry Yesler’s logging mill sat at the foot of what is now Yesler Way, a hill as long and steep as any in San Francisco He used

it to slide timber down to the wharf When Pioneer Square’s economy tumbled, Skid Road came to signify deso-lation and despair

Nisqually Earthquake

In February 2001, Pioneer Square and the entire Puget Sound region experienced a 40-second earthquake, measuring a whopping 6.8 on the Richter scale Several otherwise sturdy and fireproof brick-and-mortar constructions from post-

1889 met their match Falling bricks and façades crushed cars and damaged many

edifices (see p31).

Rush National Historical Park

A versatile display of exhibits, films, and pho-tographs emphasize Seattle’s role as the clos-est US city to Alaskan gold, and as a crucial supply post for claim

stakers (below & p30)

On the first Thursday

of each month, from 6pm

to 8pm, galleries sponsor

a well-attended art walk

Patrons can talk directly

to the artists about their

displayed works An ideal

starting point is

Occiden-tal Way between Main

and Jackson Street,

where you can find many

of the galleries (right) and

- $0 (

Seattle’s T

International District

Once known as Chinatown, this district was renamed

when community leaders recognized that inhabitants from

all over Asia had made that term obsolete One of Seattle’s

most historical districts, the ID is a striking example of how

Asian cultures thrive and assimilate into Western society

Each ethnicity claims a particular quadrant, even while

coexisting in the same colorful part of town Stroll through

groceries and restaurants run by Cambodians, Koreans, Japanese, Vietnamese, and others, to experience the Orient, Pacific Northwest style.

Avoid parking in the ID on game days at Safeco or Qwest Fields

• Great Wall Mall: 18230

E Valley Hwy, Kent; (425)

5 Wing Luke Asian Museum

6 Tsue Chong Co Inc

7 Seattle’s Best Tea

music, and firework displays make this a festive day for both locals and tourists looking for winter fun in the city

of lights It has been sensationally remodeled and is now popular as an event venue

The storefronts here resemble images of 1960s-era Saigon, with large, bright signage in the native language (below)

Dragon depicting Asian culture

If you can’t make it

to the Far East, head to the largest Asian market

in the Pacific Northwest

(below) This store has a

vast array of Asian products, merchandise, and a huge ethnic food court offering cuisine from all over Asia

Museum

The vision of civic leader

Wing Luke who died in a

plane crash in 1965, this

museum explores the

culture and history of

Asian Pacific Americans

Great Wall Mall

This 9-acre (3.6-ha) mall offers an amazing Asian shopping extravaganza It’s a bit of a drive to Kent, which is south of Sea-Tac Airport, but the sheer size and selection

of these Asian import stores is worth seeing Retailers here mirror the local immigrant popula-tions and influences not only from China, but also from all over Asia

Passenger and freight trains thunder below the edge of the

ID The tunnel ends just past Pike Place Market

Seattle is serious

about food, and the

crowds flock to the

International District for

these mandatory Chinese

delicacies (above)

Excel-lent choices are China

Gate and Ocean City

Co Inc.

If you smell something sweet amid pungent aromas of the Interna-tional District, it’s likely

to be this outfit, which makes delicious noodles and fortune cookies

& Seattle’s Best Tea

Tea finds its rightful place in a city overrun by coffee shops Joe Hsu’s small, bright, modern shop is the real deal Customers can sample the delicious teas Prices range from $20 to $217 per pound

Seattle’s T

Broadway

This is the main drag that slices across Capitol

Hill, one of Seattle’s edgier communities just up

the hill from downtown Hip stores and a wide

variety of cafés and restaurants attract a thriving

gay culture and gritty youth population On warm

nights, Broadway is about as urban as Seattle

gets as it surges with pedestrians Thanks to the

avenue’s proclivity for over-the-edge fashion,

people-watching can be a great source of

entertainment Sleek new condos, retail space,

and a light-rail station (opening 2016) to connect

Capitol Hill with downtown and the University

District are changing the face of Broadway.

Parking on Capitol Hill is at a premium; leave the car at the hotel

18

There are several

pockets of

panhan-dlers and homeless

street people along

Broadway Use your

1 Broadway Performance Hall

2 Jimi Hendrix sculpture

3 Cal Anderson Park

4 Dance Steps on Broadway

Its repertoire includes film festivals and music and dance recitals

Broadway

Sculptor Jack Mackie created an amusing series of inlaid bronze dance steps (left) along

the sidewalks of Broadway in 1982

Named after one of Washington’s openly gay legislators, the park features Lincoln Reservoir, Bobby Morris playfield, tennis courts, a children’s play area

to the southeast, and an interactive water feature

is perfect for your Tibetan Buddhist meditation sup-plies Look for blockprint tapestries, scented oils, and incense It’s also a popular spot for tarot card reading (below).

& Zebraclub

This outlet of

Zebraclub’s downtown

store (above) has an

equally modern collection

of urban fashion from

Obey, Stussy, Cheap

Monday, and a number

of other brands

Seattle’s homegrown version of a fast food hamburger joint, and unadulterated Americana

to boot since 1954, this branch is a magnet for crowds on weekend nights Quick and delicious, but not recommended for cholesterol-watchers

Pill Hill

An affectionate term for First Hill, the area almost indistinct from Capitol Hill along the same high ridge above downtown It’s thick with most of the area’s hospitals and medical research facilities, hence the nickname

Exit/Egyptian Theatres

Broadway’s two vintage movie houses(below & p39) showcase independ-

ent films from directors

on the vanguard The Seattle International Film Festival (see p35) makes

liberal use of both the theaters each year

With extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff,

this cozy bookstore (see p76) offers a huge range of

writings on world religions and spiritual traditions

You’ll also find a good selection of such things as

crystals and Tibetan singing bowls

This two-story

bastion of quirk and

fash-ion is Seattle’s largest

vintage clothing store

(right) Choose from a

varied collection with the

help of friendly and

Seattle’s Top 10

Lake Washington Ship Canal

What began in Montlake as a tiny log flume is now an 8-mile (13-km) urban waterway for sailboats, kayakers, and an impressive fleet of industrial vessels heading to sea In 1854, pioneer Thomas Mercer recognized the need for a passage to the ocean from Seattle’s two landlocked water bodies, Lake Washington and Lake Union, to replace the cumbersome transport of natural resources such as coal and timber The Ship Canal and the Locks were completed in 1917 by the US Army Corps of Engineers Four drawbridges cross the Canal at strategic points in Ballard, Fremont, the University District, and Montlake, at the western edge of Lake Washington.

20

If you plan on

kayaking, be wary of

weather changes any

time of year, as winds

can pick up and

severely affect current

and surface water

conditions Look out

for larger ships that

7am–9pm daily; Visitor

center: open May–Sep

Retired US Army Corps

of Engineers general, Hiram M Chittenden, lobbied Congress to fund the initial earth moving in

1911 Part of the Canal’s construction necessitated lowering Lake Washington’s water level by 9-ft (3-m)

At the base of Capitol Hill’s northeastern tip, the upmarket community of Montlake abuts the Arboretum and the Ship Canal Just across the Canal, the university’s huge Husky Stadium

(above & p23)

dominates the majestic view

These bridges operate with counterweights and cantilevered sections that can be raised and lowered

Fremont and Ballard Bridges are the oldest, built in 1917

The former is only 30-ft (9-m) above the water line, and opens about 35 times

each day (below).

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The idiosyncratic floating home enclaves (below) of

northern Lake Union and Portage Bay are visible almost exclusively by boats traveling the Canal and environs One was a focal point in the Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks romantic film, Sleepless

in Seattle (1993).

Every December,

local boaters celebrate

the holiday season by

venturing out during

several cold evenings

after decorating their

boats with creative and

colorful light displays

The western terminus of the Ship Canal feeds into this scenic bay, home to a public marina The water-front boasts fine seafood restaurants, meeting spaces, and Golden Gardens (see p47) park.

Opening Day Events

Seattleites take water and boating very seriously, but anyone can sail the waterways The official boating season begins the first Saturday in May, with a series of water-borne celebrations sponsored

by the Seattle Yacht Club Constant drawbridge openings snarl traffic for the Parade and Regatta,

as the region’s small ships fill the Ship Canal and adjacent lakes with revelers and those captains who may have waited all winter to sail

Officially completed

in 1917, the Hiram M Chittenden Locks link the Sound and Salmon Bay at Ballard (left) About

100,000 vessels pass through annually, as do salmon runs in the adja-cent fish ladder – fully equipped with observa-tion windows for visitors

A very urban lake with Seattle’s

downtown skyline framing its

south-ern shore (above) Seattle’s maritime

museum, Center for Wooden Boats

(see p37) and Lake Union Park at

the south end are worth a visit

Although the Ship Canal is literally and figuratively far from any wilder-ness it still attracts diverse wildlife Blue heron, gulls, beaver, Canada geese, and migrating salmon are among the many creatures to look for

Waterfront

Seattle’s maritime

industry prospers along

the Ship Canal route

Tanker ships or gill

net-ters lie in dry dock, boat

dealers proliferate, and

oil booms float here and

there – in stark contrast

to the natural ecology

that struggles to survive

A walk around the University campus is definitely a worthwhile

a reputation interna tionally for its undergraduate and postgraduate curricula in biomedical research, public health, law, computer science, and oceanography Wide open quads, cherry blossoms in spring, and lovely views provide a relaxing counterpoint to the buzz of advanced learning.

22

There’s no shortage

of eateries on

“The Ave” For pub

grub and the best

micro-brew in the U

District, try Big Time

Brewery & Alehouse

(206-545-4509).

Nothing beats a meal

and drinks at Agua

Verde Café and

Paddle Club

(206-545-8570) Rent kayaks

bound for Lakes

Washington and

Union, via the Ship

Canal Get there early

for lunch or dinner to

avoid the lines.

University campus

The main student union building is known as

“The Hub” (above) due to

its central position on campus It’s information central, as well as a venue for visiting performers

Named for the inlaid brick pavers underfoot, the huge Square lies between Meany Theater, Kane Hall, and the Suzzallo Library

It’s also known for hosting impromptu midnight concerts by musicians seeking free expression

9 Medicinal Herb Garden

0 University Book Store

Founded in 1927, this was the first public art gallery (below & p36) in

Washington, which quadrupled its size in

1997 to make room for larger, adventurous, modern exhibits and col-lections and to enhance collaborative educational programs It also has a bookstore and a café

University of Washington

as well as bookstores that have lasted genera-tions, and restaurants serving reasonably priced food from every culture imaginable In

2003, in a grand effort

to beautify the street, the city widened side-walks, and enhanced law enforcement, add-ing some sparkle to what had been suffering neglect for years

& Suzzallo Library

Once known as “the

soul of the University,” the

library is the crowning

glory of the Neo-Gothic

style on campus The

astounding vaulted ceiling

rises 65-ft (20-m) above

the second floor reading

room It also offers

classes on research and

technology skills

The shining glory of

professional performance

arts on campus, the

theater hosts performers

of all disciplines from all

over the globe It also

supports the school’s

drama, music, dance, and

of Pacific Rim and west Native American cultural heritage items are on display The museum also organizes specialized tours and

North-a summer discovery camp for children

At the base of Capitol Hill’s

northeastern tip, the up-market community

of Montlake abuts the Arboretum and the

Ship Canal (see pp20–21) Just across the

Canal, the university’s huge Husky

Stadium, the home of the top-rated UW

Huskies, dominates the view

Garden

Escape for a captivating spell on 2 acres (1 ha)

of land (below) where

several hundred species flourish and herbal scents abound It also features

a Drug Plant Garden planted in 1911

Home to the University’s computer sciences

department, this $72-million facility was named after

one of the two founders of Microsoft

M

A

B D E

Gardeners reserve their cherished spot each year when zoo

Woodland Park Zoo

Designed in 1909 by architect John Olmsted, this is one of the oldest zoos on the West Coast Occupying an area of 92 acres (37 ha), the landscape offers

a natural habitat for nearly 300 animal species Reflecting a naturalistic mission to advocate conservation and education while imparting the value

of an ecological perspective, the animal habitats are as close to nature as possible African mammals roam grasslands of a savanna; Asian elephants thrive in Thai-style setting; grizzly bears frolic over logs and in a stream run- ning down a steep hill A popular attraction for families with young children

is the petting zoo, literally a hands-on activity that’s fun and educational.

24

Inside the West Gate

are several places

to eat in the Pavillion,

where you’ll find

the Naturally

Untamed Grill, the

Rainforest Deli,

Bamboo Hut, and

other food counters.

You can visit

Wood-land Park across Hwy

99 (Aurora Avenue)

from the zoo.

Main entrance gate to

Woodland Park Zoo

The largest cat species

in the Western Hemisphere found a home here in 2003

(above) The habitat

fea-tures a cave, a pool for his swimming preferences, and jungle-like terrain that brings the fearsome animal close enough to touch save for the glass enclosure

In one of the most cherished spots at the zoo you can view two multi-generational gorilla families, cavorting only inches away on the other side of the glass

View zookeepers groom and feed the Asian elephants (below) several

times a day There are also scheduled demonstrations

of elephants performing tasks such as log stacking

Look out for the iridescent tail feathers of resident peacocks who

The zoo departs from its main agenda every summer with one of Seattle’s musical highlights Residents from the surrounding neighborhood and all over town meet on the North Meadow in the late afternoons and early evenings for a picnic dinner, and take

in entertainment from some of the best known musicians worldwide In keeping with the zoo’s family theme, children under

12 are admitted free

$ Lions, giraffes,

hippos, spotted hyenas,

gazelles, wild dogs,

white-faced whistling

duck, patas monkey,

zebras, and Egyptian

geese make this

city-bound safari one of the

largest and most

exhila-rating places (below)

Observe from an

overlook dedicated to

guitarist and Seattle

native Jimi Hendrix

Take a break from the

screech and howls of

outdoor wildlife for the

dark and silent mysteries

of nocturnal creatures

Watch boas, pythons,

vampire bats, tomato

frogs, blue-tongued

skinks, and much more

Watch falconers send

regal winged predators

out and back by the

Raptor Center Perched

on fence posts, owls

(right) and red-tailed

hawks may reside calmly

in full panoramic view

& Northern Trail

This is where to find the deceptively playful-looking grizzly bears

(above) Nearby, packs of

gray or white wolves seem haunted, and the extremely threatened river otters dive under-water and re-surface with total abandon

Siamangs

With intelligence that approaches our own, orangutans are still hilari-ous to observe Also view siamangs, native to the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula

( The world’s largest carnivorous lizards

(below) can weigh as

much as 500 pounds (226 kg) with a length of

9 ft (3 m), and are lent swimmers Not rec-ommended for pets, but great for the imagination

Pathways

Take the time to appreciate the careful consideration zoo land-scapers have given to this human environment The shrubbery (below)

is lush and plentiful, and lends an exotic ambience

to the occasion

Stay off the sandy, constantly eroding bluffs Rangers

Discovery Park

26

Plan an itinerary in

advance based on the

amount of time you

have to spare There

are no concessions in

the park, so bring

snacks or a picnic

lunch.

Occupying the northwestern edge of the

Magnolia headland north of Elliott Bay, Discovery

Park is Seattle’s largest and most varied in-city

escape Even though the US Army’s Fort Lawton

sold surplus base territory to the city, Army

Reserves still use a portion of the park for

training and officers’ quarters At 534 acres, the

park consists of densely wooded rainforests

crisscrossed with trails, high bluffs of eroding

sand at the edge of a huge meadow, and 2

miles (3 km) of driftwood laden beaches on

Puget Sound, providing a real sense of wildness.

A beach at Discovery Park

The trail leads from the South Gate along a meadow’s edge to the majestic overlook with breathtaking views of the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound

The park is dotted with clusters of abandoned and still-in-use army base hous-ing, listed on the National Register of Historic Places

Most are off limits to visitors, but you can get a closer look at them near the former parade grounds

Center

Operated by the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation, the center houses a collection of Native American art There’s an arts and crafts gallery, traditional salmon bakes, and an annual summer pow wow

celebration (below) on the

grounds of Discovery Park

Lighthouse

As picturesque as can be,

the lighthouse (below)

shines light through the fog from its perch on a narrow spit of land jutting out into the water Feel free to stroll up to and around the automated sentinel, even though it’s not open for touring

4 West Point Lighthouse

5 Beach Walks at Low Tide

Following pages West Point Lighthouse at Discovery Park

27

Sharing the Land

In many ways, land use

at Discovery Park represents the harmo-nious balance between natural conservation and urban development, and

a co-existence of US military and Native American tribes In

1970, a group of testers led by activist Bernie Whitebear staged an invasion and occupation of the still active military base, in part to establish a cultural land foundation for urban Indians After

pro-an exhausting three months for both sides, and many arrests, Whitebear’s group acquired a 99-year lease for 20 acres of parkland

at Low Tide

Seattleites escaping the

hustle and bustle of the

city come to walk along

the waterfront parks

around the Sound The

beach at Discovery Park

is a preferred spot for

those in the know

Stroll along the trail

that brings you through

the varied terrain of

Discovery Park Explore

the easy route to find

overgrown rainforest

ravines, flowering

mead-owlands, creeks,

thickets, streams, sand

dunes, and blackberry

brambles galore

The hilly field between the main bluffs and a radar ball behind barbed wire makes for some of the best kite

flying (above) in town, as

updrafts from the sea seem almost constant throughout the year

& Eagle Watching

Occasionally, bald eagles

(right) nest in the highest treetops

in Discovery Park, home to more

than 250 species of birds and other

wildlife You may find park volunteers

surrounded by eager bird-watchers

with binoculars Chances are, they

have sighted a nest

For an outing with children, head for the small playground behind park head-quarters at the East entrance Or, ask for one of only five parking passes available for families with young children so you can drive directly down to the alluring shore of Discovery Park

Treatment Plant

An extraordinary reminder of the city out-side, this facility is so exquisitely landscaped to

be almost invisible from hiking trails This ultra-modern wastewater treatment plant is as en-vironmentally conscious

3  7 / 

Moments in History

Archaeological records date

the first inhabitants of the

Seattle region to 11,000-12,000

years ago Tribes included the

Suquamish, Duwamish,

Nisqually, Snoqualmie, and

Muckleshoot, who, despite their

harsh environment, evolved into

complex societies that traded

with other tribes.

West Seattle’s Alki

Point (see p97)

Subse-quently, Denny served

as a delegate to the

Monticello convention,

which gave rise to the

states of Oregon and

Washington.

Seattle’s neighbor, Tacoma,

was the original terminus of

1873’s Northern Pacific Railroad,

linking the region to the rest of

the country By 1893, another

transcontinental railroad, the

Great Northern Railway,

extend-ed into Seattle, eventually

sup-planting Tacoma as the Puget

Sound region’s main rail depot.

When timber baron Frederick

Weyerhaeuser purchased nearly

a million acres of railroad land in

1900, Seattle’s mushrooming logging industry turned a corner for even more rapid growth and exploitation of natural resources Until then, entrepreneurs such

as Henry Yesler ruled the wharf, and erected the pioneer town out of lumber from ancient old growth forests.

Natural resources created a boomtown whose rapid growth drew more than 1,000 new residents every month Seattleites learned the imperma- nence of wooden structures in 1889, after a catastrophic fire destroyed much of the downtown area.

The Alaska Gold Rush

(see p15) officially kicked off in

1897 after a gold-filled steamship docked at Seattle’s waterfront

As the last gas for prospectors and suppliers bound for the gold fields, this city prospered as never before.

Recognizing the need for airplanes as the United States entered World War I in 1917, William E Boeing hired pilot Herb Munter to design a sea- plane for the Navy The rest of the giant Boeing Corporation’s success is history.

Arthur A Denny

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Seattle’s Top 10

31

Top 10 Famous Seattleites

(1899–1986)

The inventor of the down parka opened his first store of clothes and sporting goods in Seattle

& Howard Schultz (b 1953)

Schultz turned a few local coffee stores into the global Starbucks Empire worth billions of dollars

Co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world’s richest men, he continues to run the company today

This Internet billionaire founded giant web retailer Amazon.com in 1995

The first Asian-American governor in the US, Locke was elected in 1997

In 1975, Harvard dropout Bill

Gates and his high school friend

Paul Allen founded Microsoft

From the suburb of Redmond,

they launched a personal

compu-ter revolution and have never

looked back Today, Microsoft’s

Windows operating system is

the dominant computer platform,

and the company employs more

than 78,000 people worldwide.

If Seattle is a boom and bust

town, it certainly felt the boom

in a magnitude-6.8 earthquake on

the morning of February 28,

2001 (see p15) Workers escaped

their offices, if they could, to see

the earth rolling, pavements

cracking, and cars violently

sway-ing The region suffered more

than $1 billion in damages.

The Seattle area lived under

a dark shadow of brutal serial

killings as dozens of women

became victims of the Green

River Killer Twenty years of

intense investigation led to the

capture of Gary Ridgeway in

2001 He was convicted in 2003.

Devastation after the 2001 earthquake

Seattle’s modern architec tural

identity began with the Space

John Graham and Company, for

the 1962 World’s Fair The three

pairs of beams supporting the

spire lie buried 30-ft (8-m)

under-ground, and have secured the

605-ft (185-m) Needle during

several earthquakes and

Designed by renowned

Post-Modern architect, Frank Gehry,

resembles a smashed guitar, in

homage to the incendiary finales

of Jimi Hendrix’s early career

Paul Allen’s provocative project

emphasizes Seattle’s role at the

artistic and musical vanguard

d Map H2 • 325 5th Ave N

Award-winning Dutch

archi-tect Rem Koolhaas designed the

$196.4 million insulated glass

and steel structure to replace

Seattle’s vintage-1960 Central

Library The unusual oblique

structure and glass flooring have been controversial, but defenders

of the building insist that once

p64) d Map K5 • 1000 4th Ave

This 76-story skyscraper rises high above any other Seattle structure Completed in 1985, from a design by Chester Lindsey Architects, it holds the US record for most stories in any building west of the Mississippi River Three of the 46 elevators bring visitors to the posh private club

at the top It offers stunning views of Elliott Bay, the Olympic Peninsula, Mount Rainier, and the Cascade Mountains

d Map K5 • 701 5th Ave • (206) 386-5151

• 8:30am–4:30pm Mon–Fri • Adm for observation deck

One of the city’s favorite attractions is the Monorail, an

pp11 & 64) designed by Alweg

Rapid Transit Systems Each year, 1.5 million passengers board its original 1962 cars to get a taste

of what designers imagined at the time would be the mass transit model of the future The Monorail connects downtown with the Seattle Center and departures are every 10 minutes from West- lake Center (5th & Pine St) and the Seattle Center station (across from the Space Needle)

d Map H2 • Seattle Center • (206)

905-2620 • 9am–11pm daily • Adm

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as its main tower rises

from a relatively narrow

11-story pedestal

Rainier Square (see

p53), an upscale underground

shopping mall, occupies much

• 1301 5th Ave

This charming Art Deco

building was designed by

architects Albertson, Wilson

& Richardson in 1929 The

façade’s tan brick and multiple

shades of granite set it apart

from its steel and glass

neighbors Vertical accents

make its 27 stories appear

even taller, and the lobby’s

ornate bronze and marble

detail is capped by a fanciful

ceiling bas-relief depicting

local flora and fauna

1914 The white

terra-cotta building has

brass hand-operated

elevators that take

visitors to the Chinese

Room at the 35th

level, with its antique

carvings and inlaid

porcelain ceiling, and

a National Historic Landmark status During the Gold Rush years, 48 mining outfits maintained offices here, and it became headquarters for

a prosperous speakeasy during Prohibition Bill Speidel’s

Underground Tour (see p14) starts

Transit Tunnel (DSTT)

From the Washington State Convention Center to the Inter- national District, this tunnel was designed to carry riders aboard buses that switch from diesel

to electric energy while ground All tunnel stations are

under-within the Ride Free Zone (see

p65) Between 2005 and 2007

the tunnel was retrofitted to accommodate light rail service from 2009, linking downtown


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0 Left Seafair Right Bumbershoot

Festivals & Parades

For more information on Seattle Pride March, held in late June

A parade along 4th Avenue

in late July is a highlight of

Seafair, a celebration of maritime

and aviation history highlighted

by the aerodynamic “derring-do”

of the Navy’s Blue Angels F/A-18

fighter pilots, an All Nations Pow

Wow at Daybreak Cultural

Cent-er, hydroplane races on Lake

Washington, and battleships open

to the public on the waterfront.

orientation Expect outrageous floats, dancing, and the popular

“Dykes on Bikes”, a motorcycle outfit whose members freely show what they have beneath the leather.

Street Fair

Dating from 1970, Seattle’s first street fair stretches over ten blocks of “The Ave” and its side- streets in May Innumerable crafts booths, food vendors, and local rock music performances attract families from all over town.

Parade

All floats at this innovative parade must be entirely human powered, stimulating the imagi- nations of Fremont’s anarchic arts community Crews propel samba bands, dancers, and rock quartets using battery-operated amplifiers It’s held on or near the summer solstice (June 21).

Aficionados of tugboats and ships flock to this May festival

It makes for a free, fun, and family-friendly way to learn how the working waterfront has become a major factor in Seattle’s economy and culture The fair centers around the Bell Street Pier, which is a short walk north from the Seattle Aquarium

and humorous highlight is the tugboat race on Elliott Bay.

Crowds watching the Blue Angels, Seafair

Performers from all over the

world converge for this Labor

that transforms Seattle Center

into the arts capital of the Pacific

NW Its three days are packed

with concerts, intimate theater

productions, independent film

presentations, and literary arts.

p72) runs from Westlake Park to

Seattle Center Sponsored by the

gay, lesbian, bisexual, and

transgender community, it

attracts huge crowds from every

Fremont Fair Solstice Parade has a scenic location along the Ship

Music and dance events comprise two days of authen-tic Irish culture in mid-March

Seattle’s celebration of the West African Mansa of the Mali Empire, in June, repre-sents African and African-American cultural traditions

Philippine Festival

Philippine independence is marked in mid-June with dance, film, drama, and culinary arts

This late-September/early October festival is all about fun and food

Pay tribute to your tors Latin American-style with altars, artwork, food, and music in early November

November marks the end

of harvest, a time for relaxing and preparing special foods

ethnic music, dance,

and arts and crafts,

Folklife is a magnet

for all the old

(and new) hippies

in the region

Given the diversity of Seattle’s

Pacific Rim population, it’s

virtu-ally a festival of and for the world.

Festival (SIFF)

One of the most respected and

comprehensive film festivals in

the US, SIFF screens more than

400 new works from at least 60

countries during May and June

Even midnight showings of cult

films sell out, and notable directors

attend many premier screenings.

The shoestring staff at the

non-profit Earshot Jazz held

between October and November

present a well-respected event

The festivals have consistently

showcased successful as well as

emerging jazz artists, enriching

and enlightening the Seattle

community at large Well-known

performers have included Bill

Frisell and John McLaughlin.

Festival (SIMF)

The largest and longest running

music festival of its kind

any-where, SIMF is dedicated to the

esoteric art of spontaneous

com-position Local performers join

eclectic international musicians to

improvise sets that defy category,

but always impress After 23

thrilling annual productions, the

ever-popular February festival

draws larger audiences each year.

Rainbow Lady, Folklife Festival

stands outside Seattle’s

largest art museum

(see p63) SAM’s permanent

collection includes European,

Asian, African, and

North-west Coast Native American

Ave • (206) 654-3100 • Open

10am–5pm Wed–Mon

(to 9pm Thu & Fri) • Adm

(free 1st Thu of month)

• www.seattleartmuseum.org

The historic 1933 Art-Moderne

structure in Volunteer Park houses

Seattle Art Museum’s Asian

art collection, primarily works

from China, Japan, and Korea

d Map E4 • 1400 E Prospect St

• (206) 654-3100 • Open 10am–5pm

Wed–Mon (to 9pm Thu) • Adm

Wealthy industrialists Emma

and Charles Frye’s collection of

19th–20th century representational

art is on view at this elegant

gallery Exhibits include works by

American masters such as Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Andrew Wyeth

d Map L4 • 704 Terry Ave • Open 10am–5pm daily (to 8pm 1st Thu of month) • Adm • www.fryeart.org

& Industry

This is a gem for anyone interested in the region’s work and workers over the last 150 years Key features include photo- graphs, a rich catalog of oral histories, and educational

E • (206) 324-1126 • Open 10am–5pm daily (10am–8pm 1st Thu of month)

• Adm (free 1st Thu of month)

• www.seattlehistory.org

This modern art museum

(see p23) at UW presents work

by cutting-edge artists It also offers imaginative programs and exhibits, and promotes experi- mental art by encouraging dia- logue on contemporary culture,

• NE 41st St & 15th Ave NE • (206)

543-2280 • Open 11am–4pm Wed, Sat, & Sun, 11am–9pm Thu & Fri • Adm (Thu is “pay what you wish”) • www.henryart.org

Founded in 1885, the Burke is a natural history buff’s dream View dinosaur and dragonfly fossils, hand-carved Native-American cedar canoes,

Seattle Asian Art Museum

Hammering Man

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Lawrence established a national reputation as a painter and activist

(1890–1976)

A 1953 Life magazine featured

Tobey as one of the four

“Mystic Painters of the Pacific Northwest.” He was a major influence on Jackson Pollock

(1910–1997)

He gained international fame

as a painter, sculptor, and fountain maker

(1906–1998)

Part of the 1953 Life feature,

Anderson led an eccentric but influential life as a painter

& Kenneth Callahan (1905–1986)

Another artist in the Life

feature, he was once a curator

at Seattle Art Museum

A naturalistic painter, sculptor, and writer

Chihuly’s handblown decorative glass art has pop ularized the medium

(b 1918)

James has painted scapes, made furniture, and sculpted in multiple media

17th Ave NE • (206) 543-5590 • Open 10am–

5pm daily • Adm (free 1st Thu of month)

in the Pacific Northwest, from

slavery to the present day

d Map E6 • 2300 S Massachusetts St

• (206) 518-6000 • Open 11am–7pm Tue,

11am–4:30pm Wed, Fri, & Sat, noon–4pm

Sun • Adm • www.naamnw.org

at Boeing Field, you can walk

through a model of the Space

Shuttle, tour the first Air Force

One, designed for President

Kennedy, climb into the cockpit

of a mint-condition SR-71

Black-bird or F/A-18 Hornet fighter jet,

or step aboard a Concorde

d Map P2 • 9404 E Marginal Way S

• (206) 764-5720 • Open 10am–5pm daily

(to 9pm 1st Thu of month) • Adm

• www.museumofflight.org

CWB has over 100 small

vessels and offers classes in

maritime activities and crafts

During their annual July festival,

you can tour relic sloops and

tugs For an in-city adventure, try

sailing one of the historic boats

d Map D4 • 1010 Valley St • (206)

382-2628 • Open 10am–8pm Tue–Sun (to 5pm

in winter) • www.cwb.org

Named for a civic leader who

lobbied for Asian-American rights,

this museum fulfills Wing’s dream

to showcase the culture and history

S King St • (206) 623-5124 • Open 10am–

5pm Tue–Sun • Adm • www.wingluke.org

0 Left Benaroya Hall Center Moore Theatre sign Right Bagley Wright Theatre

Performing Arts Venues

This bastion of culture is

the city’s first venue designed

exclusively for music

perform-ances It is also home to the

Seattle Symphony The

2,500-seat Mark Taper auditorium is

known for its superior acoustics

Another 540-seat hall is used

• 200 University St • (206) 215-4747

• www.seattlesymphony.org

In 2003 the original opera

house underwent a massive

transformation to become

no less than $127 million, this

plush 2,900-seat auditorium with

state-of-the-art acoustics and

excellent amenities is home to

the Seattle Opera and Pacific

The largest indoor venue

(see p11) in Seattle Center is

home to the city’s professional

women’s basketball team, the

Seattle Storm, and is a popular

venue for major events and

One of the most treasured theaters in town, the faithfully restored Paramount dates from

1928 and exudes the charm of the popular Beaux-Arts style of grand movie palaces of its period Today, it presents Broadway shows, jazz and rock concerts, and dance performances

it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places It also serves as a base for new rock

• (206) 467-5510 • www.themoore.com

Opening in 1926 as a vaudeville venue, 5th Avenue’s ornate imperial Chinese design was inspired by Beijing’s Forbidden City It is Seattle’s premier home for nationally

• 1308 5th Ave • (206) 625-1900

• www.5thavenuetheatre.org

The large green building at the Seattle Center belongs to the non-profit Seattle Repertory Theatre The Bagley Wright Hall

(see p11) is the flagship of the

company’s three performance venues The Rep won the 1990

KeyArena

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